duckling question

Quote:I would wait at least til they are a week old or so - I think I waited two weeks with my first ducklings - and even then half of them just stood there not knowing quite what to do - they caught on quickly, though.

Just make sure you dry them and put them under a nice warm lamp afterwards. They get soaked the first few times in the water.

meri

 

If you are watching closely, and the water is warm, you can give them some tub time. The earliest I have put mine in is 3 days after hatch.

 

I have taken mine in the water at just a couple days old. I use nice warm water, not too warm, and I keep the swims short enough that they don't chill. Then I dry them off, best I can and put them right back in the brooder under the heat lamp.

 

MIne took short swims on day 2. I didn't need a bath tub though, they were soooo small! I used a little basin.

 

I used to wait a week or two to swim my ducklings, but after I opened the hatchery box on the last crew of day olds, put them in my bathtub brooder, and four of them promptly climbed in the milk jug waterer and began swimming around, I decided I might have been a bit overprotective.

I just picked up a few day old Pekins at TSC, and popped them in the bathtub brooder with my week olds, who get a swim twice a day. The day olds took to it, no problem.

So I'd say you can swim a duckling from a couple of days onward, as long as they can get under some heat afterwards.

 

I too let our runners swim at about 3 days old, but they were so small a pie dish was big enough for them to have a field day.
Enjoy them while you can

Kycklingmamma

 

baby ducks do not make their own oil to make them waterproof like adult ducks, nor can the moderate their own temperature
IF they have a mother, the mom preens herself, putting HER oil on her beak, and then she preens her babies, making them waterproof with her oil
and she knows how long is okay and she keeps them warm
no mama- no swimming till at least three weeks